5 days Ago
We've been underestimating the power of the noodle. Recently, Reddit user Soopah_Fly made a fascinating observation: There is one dish that has the ability to unite cultures while also revealing what sets them apart. And that dish is.
..spaghetti.
Here's what he wrote: "A friend of mine invited me to a house-blessing ceremony at his new house. His family prepared a bunch of dishes, and I was pretty stoked since he said he would be cooking some food from his country. He's French.
" The Redditor's curiosity about noodles immediately went viral, resonating with people around the world. Thousands reacted, and hundreds shared how spaghetti is made in their own households. Here are some of the most fascinating responses: 5.
"My Persian family makes a version of spaghetti where the sauce is basically chili. It's made of beans, ground turkey, tomato, garlic, onion, turmeric, cayenne pepper, ginger, salt, and sometimes other veggies if we have them." — glokash 7.
"I'm Italian, and my spaghetti is very close to the one your French friend cooked. I probably use even more tomato sauce and have it cook longer with more olive oil. I'll add something — tuna (but then you'll have to ditch the cheese), or a bit of bacon (then I use goat cheese instead of Parmigiano) — to the sauce if I'm fancy.
" — kidnappedgoddess 10. "I don't like my spaghetti sauce sweet. When I make sauce, I add a teaspoon or so of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, but that's it.
Ideally, I like 8 oz ground beef, 8 oz hot Italian pork sausage, a large jar of a good tomato sauce, and I add a finely diced onion, red pepper, and garlic. I simmer it all for as long as I can." — AnUnexpectedUnicorn 12.
"Spaghetti at my house is different every time we make it. One of our favorite versions involves using leftover pot roast and about a gallon of tomato sauce, a couple of onions, a couple of heads of garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, and a dash of chili flakes. Throw it all in a slow cooker and let it cook all day until the meat is falling apart, then dump your pasta in the sauce itself and let it cook.
(You need a lot of leftover meat for this, so save and freeze leftover roasts until you have a couple of pounds.)" "Another favorite and way cheaper version: slice a bunch of green onions lengthwise and cut into three-inch long strips. Saute in oil and butter.
Add a couple of cloves of minced garlic, a dash of red chili flakes, parsley if you have it (dry is okay, but not as good), and a pinch of ginger powder. Cook that for a minute or so, add soy sauce, take it off the heat immediately, whisk, and pour over cooked spaghetti or angel hair. Toss together and serve.
" — Catonachandelier 15. "I like the traditional American meat sauce spaghetti topped with a ridiculous amount of powdered parmesan." "When I make it, I'll fry off some meatballs in a Dutch oven, and then make a sauce with San Marzano tomatoes, lots of garlic, onion, and a carrot, and simmer it in the oven until it's deep red and full of umami flavor, toss some fresh basil in when I pull it out and add the meatballs back in.
" — HopeThin3048 17. "Growing up, my mom occasionally made spaghetti as a treat for me. Her version had shredded chicken instead of minced beef.
The tomato sauce was soupy, so I had to slurp it up after I had finished all the pasta. Nowadays, she makes it the conventional way, and I feel kinda sad about it. I want my soupy spaghetti.
" — Felinomancy 18. "In our family, we don’t even use spaghetti noodles for ‘spaghetti’ — we prefer angel hair. None of us like the thickness of traditional spaghetti pasta.
We start by browning 2 pounds of lean ground beef, seasoning it generously with salt, pepper, garlic, basil, onion powder, and a heavy sprinkle of Italian seasoning. When the meat is nearly cooked, we add about two yellow squash, sliced and diced, and let them soften. Then, we stir in 1 to 1.
5 jars of marinara sauce and let it simmer on low until warmed through. Finally, we add the cooked angel hair pasta, toss everything together, and serve it straight from the pot with fresh parmesan on top!" — When_pigsfly 20. "I’m Bahamian, but I don’t think we have a specific way of making spaghetti.
My mom always used ground beef, tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced onion, bell pepper, and herbs. I also add sugar and mushrooms as well, and I like to top it with cheddar cheese or shredded parmesan. Sometimes, I make it with just ground lamb, tomato paste, and crushed tomato.
" — Kind-Strawberry-2333 Now, it's your turn: What's your personal go-to when it's time to make a comforting bowl of spaghetti? Tell us about it in the comments. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity..
